Choice is not an option – part III

Well now how do we serve God ? I am caught in so many of my material responsibilities that how am I ever going to find time to achieve this? It seems out of the world.

We yearn for things to be practical and simple and tend to deride things which don't appear easy. And what's more we want to see immediate results. Well if the supreme is aware of everything, why would he ignore this and not have a solution?

Yes…the scriptures recommend different practices and methods for different ages considering the conditions applicable to each age. There are four ages prescribed, and the current age is the iron age or Kali yuga. This age is described to be full of vices. Men have short memory and not lucky. Their life span is hardly a hundred years.

Just as there are four ages, there are four methods to reinstate our relationship with God. Meditation, rituals, worship and chanting the holy name of God are the four prescribed methods. Of these four, the first three methods require considerable time and purity to enable one to achieve success. Well now, the fourth method, chanting God's name is the easiest and most sublime. The Supreme Lord appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu some 500 years ago to inaugurate this movement. He preached that chanting of God's name is possible and practical because it is not dependent on one's qualification or purification. In fact such qualification and purification is achieved by the process itself. So let us start chanting God's name wherever possible and make our lives happy and peaceful.

Please chant

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna |

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare ||

Hare Rama Hare Rama |

Rama Rama Hare Hare ||

 

A minimum of 108 times everyday.

 

By Krsna Caitanya Das

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choice Is Not An Option - Part 2

But why is independence a problem? After all its something that everyone look for.

Having understood a fair deal on our relationship with God, let’s explore this concept of independence. But before that, can we think aloud and see what we mean as independence and is it something which is really possible? At least going by general parlance, independence can be associated with a sense of feeling where everything is under one’s control where one can dictate terms and be in a position according to his own whims and fancies.  I am sure this definition of independence would have raised a few eyebrows and made one ponder as to where we are heading. We are heading to understand if this is really possible and whether we really are in such a position.

But before that we need to understand the nature of our surroundings. The world we have occupied is a place of duality where both happiness and distress coexist. The Lord himself confirms this in the Bhagavad Gita terming this world as “dukhalayam asasvatam” – meaning a place of misery and that which is temporary. As we have come to see and as confirmed by the authorities there are four things in this material world which are there to exist – birth, death, old age and disease. These four things cannot be stopped and is experienced even up to the highest planet in this material world which is Brahmaloka. And even if one happens to be the richest of the richest he cannot stop this. Besides these four things there are other natural disturbances like flood, famines, earthquakes etc which are beyond anybody’s control. Despite the advancement in science and technology these things still cannot be checked.

So now it’s time to question ourselves. Can we actually remain independent given the nature of our environment and the place which we occupy? The obvious answer should be no, because it is clear that we do not have control over our surroundings and as such the question of independence never exists.    

But one may argue that there is a limited independence which exists. This argument is valid and it is a fact that we are naturally independent. The Lord is all independent and we being a part and parcel of the Lord also have that natural independence. But currently we are unable to utilize it fully because we have misused that independence. The misuse of independence happens when we attempt to be independent to the source of our independence itself. In other words we want to enjoy being separated from God and not wanting him to be with us. It is just like a son or daughter who in the name of independence intents to act according to his or her whims without adhering to the instructions of the parents. In the beginning it may be nice, but the end result can be devastating. So the solution lies in using that limited independence which we currently enjoy to dovetail our activities to the service of the Lord. That will reinstate us in our true feeling of independence. But am I not forcing myself to undertake something which I don’t enjoy? The point is that unlike serving a master in this material world out of need or necessity the pleasure in serving the lord is immense. This is because the Lord is by nature full of eternal, bliss and knowledge and we being his parts and parcels also have that quality.

We conclude this part by clearly voicing that Independence is not a problem, in fact it is a boon but one needs to properly understand and not misuse it.

Part3

But at the end of Part 2, are we sounding impractical or are we getting too theoretical? So Let’s explore the practical means to achieve what we discussed in the upcoming Part 3.

--- by Krsna Caitanya Das

Choice is not an option - (Part 1)

All over the world people today have come to understand life with the simple theory of “Life is short, make merry and enjoy”. Though it seems simple, it opens up several dangers which we shall unravel through the course of this discussion. The quest for any theory in life is to be happy and make the most of what is available for our own personal sense gratification. This in short is the cause of our disturbances. It seems strange isn’t it! But it’s a hard reality which we have got to accept. Let’s accept it with some basis though but before that let us understand what this word ‘choice’ is. 

I happened to meet a gentleman from a respected family in India and was pleased to explain the philosophy of God consciousness to him. He patiently listened through and then started his part of the story. Finally he landed up at a point saying – what is wrong in suffering? I am ok with it. Well now here ends the conversation. When we have made a choice to suffer nobody can save us. It sounds foolish isn’t it…that I am ok to suffer but this is a reality in today’s world. We are so much engrossed in temporary sense enjoyment that we don’t bother even to suffer or at least say that we don’t bother. Hold on…let me not get any further. Let’s come to the basis.

Have we ever thought of questioning something very basic like this: Why am I born? Why is there disease, death and old age? Why am I not in control of my surroundings and the way I look at things? Why is something subtly forced on me?

The answer to these million dollar questions are not available in today’s modern books of history or geography but in our very own ancient Vedic wisdom.

To answer them we need to explore a series of points and understand its linkage. The Bhagavad Gita – meaning song of the Lord spoken some 5,000 years ago methodically explains and clarifies this linkage.

To begin with, we need to understand that we are this spirit soul and not this body or at least we are not this body and we are something distinct from it. The distinction between a dead body and a living body is sufficient evidence to help us understand this fact.

Now having known that fact, we get information that this spirit soul which is the source of the consciousness in the body is a part and parcel of the lord. Being a part and parcel of the Lord means in essence that the spirit soul has all the qualities that are available in God just like a part and parcel of gold also possesses the qualities of gold. So are we God? No, because though qualitatively we are one with God we cannot match it quantitatively just like though a part of gold is also gold it cannot match the quantity in a gold mine. By this we come to understand the concept of a superior and a subordinate. Well the trouble game starts when this subordinate x wants to be on his own and ignore superior Y. It’s like a child who is part of the family but does not want to accept the family and be on his own. This is the sum and substance of our trouble in material existence. We living entities being parts and parcels of God want to enjoy independent of the Lord and have therefore been imprisoned in this material world to enjoy or suffer the reactions of our past deeds. So the solution is simple. If we want to be truly or eternally happy we should attempt to reinstate that relationship just like though the particle of gold might glitter independently, but when it is part of a gold ring it is very much appreciated. This is the secret of peace and happiness.

Srila Prabhupada wrote that when a diamond is set in a gold ring, it looks very nice. The gold is glorified and at the same time, the diamond is also glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is the diamond, and so this combination is very nice.

More on Part 2

But why is independence a problem? After all it’s something that everyone look for.

Having understood a fair deal on our relationship with God, let’s explore this concept of independence. But before that, can we think aloud and see what we mean as independence and is it something which is really possible? At least going my general parlance, independence can be associated with a sense of feeling where everything is under one’s control where one can dictate terms and be in a position according to his own whims and fancies.  I am sure this definition of independence would have raised a few eyebrows and made one ponder as to where we are heading. We are heading to understand if this is really possible and whether we really are independent in the first place.

Hare Krsna!!

Krsna Caitanya Das

 

 

 

Sweet poison versus bitter medicine

Hare Krishna everyone!!

The Hare Krishna movement is existent to convey to everyone of our eternal nature in the kingdom of God (Vaikuntha) in the company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as opposed to our temporary life full of miseries. To benefit everyone, we make as much propaganda as possible.

The main propaganda work of the Hare Krishna movement is done through book distribution. While out on the road, we meet so many people with diverse conceptions of life. But the Krishna Consciousness philosophy that we have is so potent that there is answer for every single question that they put to us.

Sometimes, people say this (it is quite common): Don't force me into buying a book. Of course, it is up to them to take the book. Even Lord Krishna, after speaking the entire Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, asked him to do as he likes. (Arjuna, being intelligent, followed whatever Lord Krishna has said without reservation.) But although it seems like Lord Krishna is giving us freedom to do whatever we like, it is trickier than we thought it is.

Why is that so? If we carefully observe, we have two options. Either we surrender to Krishna or we do not. One can put forward so many reasons and theories to avoid surrender to Krishna or God. But the principle is the same - to defy God. Actually, because we chose to defy God from time immemorial, we are here in this material world. And no way are we free here. Either we are controlled by Krishna directly or through his material nature. But we cannot be totally independent. Our only independence is to choose between the two types of dependences - either Krishna or Maya (the illusory material nature).

So whenever someone comes up with this statement, we always put the statement back on them, of course in a polite way: "If you ask me not to force you, it is not that you are not forced. How about the force of death? Can you say, 'Don't force me into dying'? So you are forced either way. So why not accept the positive force? By buying this book, you will know of your eternal nature and you can escape this force of death which everyone wants to." This works! Usually, the person ends up buying a book!

Although it appears like we are tricking them, it is actually presenting the facts as they are. As a Brahmana, one is expected to speak the truth. We are not so much into pleasing the general public. We are here to speak the truth in a straightforward way without distortion in order to awaken the people to reality. Which is better - Sweet poison or bitter medicine?